Poppies and More.......

 Poppies in bloom.....Mr. Outdoors fishing...... Great Blue Heron's waiting on dinner....squirrel eating

the mulberries...and of course the majestic mountains of Colorado!

Bouncing back and forth.....

Bouncing back and forth between Kansas and Colorado keeps us busy, happy busy!  The hollyhocks, poppies and elephant ear are loving all this rain we are having! We planted a couple of  "knock out roses" anxious to see how they do. The Blue Heron's hang out at the fish hatchery every evening for supper, don't they look pre-historic?  We celebrated a couple of family birthdays and brother-in-law doesn't like chocolate (can  you imagine!) and my niece does ,so I went with strawberry and chocolate cakes.  Using my stainless steel roaster ( forming a foil wall between the two while baking)  got the job done.  Finished off with buttercream frosting (have you ever made it?  scrumptious!)  and both were pleased with their cakes. This is a great way to feed a crowd, plenty of cake for all.  Have you noticed summer is zinging by?!!!!  Enjoy these happy sweet summer days for they will be just a memory before we know it!

It's June!

The weeks are flying by!  We are into a remodel of the farm house and having our April rains in May.  Mr. Outdoors is laying tile in the utility room, bathroom, hallway and kitchen.  Quite an undertaking and it is turning out beautiful!  I have a quilt in the works making my great niece a quilt from her onesies.  She is now 7 so it is past time for me to do that!  Actually it will thrill her Mother much more than it does her, hopefully it will be something she will enjoy later in her life.  Onesies are so tiny aren''t they?  Getting in some quilt time for what is in my quilt frame and wanting to get it done so I can move on to others waiting to be quilted.  Sometimes I fear I will not live long enough to quilt all I have waiting in the to-do pile.  LOL.  Traveling thru Colorado we stopped by a roadside park and found a wonderful smelling bush called "deer brush".  They smell like lilac's and evidently are deer, elk and moose food.  I picked a branch and am hoping to get a start from it.  June is here, can you believe it?  Enjoy!

Spring, snow and an avalanche....

Still plenty of snow on the mountain tops and the tulips are blooming.  Lunch alfresco and lots of yard work going on. We tried to drive to our favorite campground and there is a rock/snow avalanche blocking the road...boo. The streams and rivers are next to overflowing and that is a good thing as the drought may be over.  You just can't beat springtime in the mountains.  We are 70's in the daytime and 30's at night...I call that perfect weather......happy Monday!

Mothers Day 2014

Mothers day was so great!  We celebrated a high school graduation, a birthday and Mothers Day.  Wonderful food, flowers and best of all family and friends!  I hope your day was wonderful too! Smoked chicken and brisket ( #2 son does a great job) and you can't go wrong with a chocolate fountain!

5K

Mr. Outdoors and I did a 5K with our family yesterday at Arrowhead stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs.  Such a great family time and good eats afterwards at Winstead's steak burgers.

Happy Mothers Day!

Granddaughter time....

Granddaughter Hannah and I were shopping for she and hubby's new apt.  New bedroom lamps and spoon rest and a china cabinet for all of her pretty dishes.  She actually could use a couple more china cabinet's for all the dishes she has...takes after her Grandma for sure! I don't have any pics yet of my purchases, a sweet lamp and cast iron bird dish...too cute. Have been in KC with her for the week and heading home today...such great times with my sweet girl.